Betrayal
by RainbowTiger178
Summary: After Rikki, Bella, and Cleo defeat the comet, Emma returns from her travels. But soon, someone in the group betrays the others, and another return comes along, but it's not good. The two team up, making horrible decisions to wreck the others' lives. Will that person come to their senses? Or will the mermaids be exposed?
1. Emma Returns

Everything was going great. Life seemed entirely perfect. Lewis had returned home from the university in America, and Cleo was so overjoyed she wouldn't let go of his hand.

And of course, as if life couldn't get any better.

One day, Bella, Cleo, and Rikki were hanging out in the moon pool, doing their usual thing.

"So what's it like in America?" Bella asked anxiously, while Lewis was sitting on the cave's floor.

"Really cool, actually. They've got a few McDonald's" he responded.

"Huh? They have what?"

"It's a restaurant. The mascot is a clown who always wears yellow and red"

Rikki, Bella, and Cleo cracked up.

"How was the university?" Cleo asked.

"Awesome! I got my diploma a few days ago."

But just as everyone was enjoying their happiness, another blonde mermaid swam in. The girls exchanged nervous looks. But Rikki and Cleo's faces turned from scared to joyful when they saw the mermaid's face.

It was Emma!

"Emma! It's been so long!" Cleo exclaimed.

Though it was tough to do with a twenty-pound tail, Cleo swam over and hugged her long-lost friend.

"Hey, Emma, this is Bella. A mermaid we met when you left" Rikki said. Bella smiled.

"Hey, I'm Bella." she said.

"I'm Emma." Emma forced a smile. There was something she wasn't admitting.

Bella and Emma shook hands.

"So what's your power?" Emma asked.

"Uh, Cleo? Could you?…" Bella nodded her head towards the water.

Cleo made a bubble of water come up from the moon pool.

As soon as Bella turned it into jelly, Emma was astounded.

"Wow, that's cool!" she said.

When Bella's jelly evaporated, Emma said "Watch this"

In a split second the water hand froze into an ice ball floating in mid air.

"Woah! Is that ice?" Bella asked.

Emma nodded.

Rikki melted the ice and Cleo dropped it into the moon pool with a splash. Some water landed on Bella.

"Hey, watch it! That was hot!" Bella laughed.

"Sorry" The four mermaids giggled.

"Ahem. Has anyone forgotten me?" Lewis said from behind.

"Lewis! It's great to have you back" Emma told him.

"Likewise"

"Well, I gotta go. Lewis and I are going on a date." Cleo sang happily. She smiled. Rikki jokingly rolled her eyes.

"Oh, you two lovebirds get out!"

Cleo laughed and splashed water at Rikki.

Cleo swam out of the moon pool. Lewis walked out.

Bella, Emma, and Rikki were left in the moon pool together.

"Emma, it was great meeting you but I gotta go. Band rehearsal" Bella said.

"Bye Bella" Rikki said. Bella swam away.

There was silence between the two remaining mermaids.

"So what do you really think of Bella?" Rikki broke the silence.

"What are you talking about?"

"I saw the way you looked at her. You only give that look when you are pretending to be nice to someone"

"I don't know what you're talking about"

"Oh, don't pretend, Em. You're obviously hiding something"

"Look, I've got more important things to do, okay? Just stay out of my thoughts"

Emma gave Rikki a dirty look and swam out of the cave. Rikki just sighed and also swam away.

**2 hours later…**

Rikki was walking on the sidewalk when Zane ran up to her.

"Zane, forget it" Rikki automatically said.

"It's not about us."

"Oh?"

"It's Emma. She was acting weird at the cafe"

"What happened?"

"Well, she complained about me 'stealing the cafe'-"

"What? That's not like her!"

"Well, then she started demanding all these orders like she owned the place. When I finally got her to simmer down she ordered a drink and gave me a death glare. It was like she was in a bad mood!"

"Did anything else happen?"

"No. She just slumped down and fiddled with her drink"

"I better go talk to Cleo"

Rikki ran off away from Zane. She finally caught up with Cleo, who was taking a walk on the beach.

"Cleo!" Rikki yelled.

Cleo turned around.

"What is it, Rikki? she said.

"It's Emma."

"What happened?"

"Zane said she was in a bad mood at the cafe and remember how she was all little miss grumpy pants in the moon pool?"

"Well…yeah?"

"What do you think is wrong with her?"

"I don't know. When we greeted her, she was fine, but as soon as she met…"

"You don't think…"

"Maybe she's jealous of Bella?"

"No, no no. Emma's not like that"

"Well, now she is."

"What's this sudden change?"  
Suddenly Emma walked up.

"Hey, guys. What're you talking about?" she asked. Cleo and Rikki exchanged glances.

"Well, uh, we were talking about you, actually" Rikki said.

Emma crossed her arms and raised her eyebrows.

"Really? What about me?"

"Uh, tell her, Cleo" Rikki gave Cleo a little shove with her elbow.

"Well…how do you feel about Bella?" Cleo asked.

Emma's mouth opened, but no words came out. For a moment she stared at the ground.

"I-I guess she's…nice?"

"Come on, Em. She's not here. Now spill your guts, girl"

"Er…did she replace me by any chance?"

"No. Of course not! Is this why you'e been acting all strange?" Rikki stared at Emma.

"It's not that I don't like her! It's just-she's sort of the center of attention"

"No she's not! Emma, I think you're overreacting"

"No, I'm not!" Emma started to shout.

"Rikki, why do you always have to be the right one? Why you?! "

"Emma, calm down!" Cleo said. This was the Zane and Ash incident all over again.

"Well, it's not my fault, miss know-it-all!"

"Well, at least I didn't replace you guys!"

Emma and Rikki stormed off at the same time. Cleo was left alone on the beach.


	2. The Unexpected

**A/N: Sorry I didn't update as soon as I usually do. And anyway, here is chapter 2 of Betrayal.**

Emma sauntered to the cafe. She nearly bumped into the wall thinking about Bella replacing her. A few giggles came from behind her. Obviously, a few people had seen her embarrassing and stupid mistake.

Whatever. Emma rolled her eyes and walked into the cafe. She was so focused on her dramatic thoughts she didn't realize Charlotte was right behind her. After Emma ordered her drink, Charlotte intruded and sat right at Emma's booth.

Em's eyes widened.

"Charlotte?!"

Charlotte smirked and said, "Who did you expect?"

"W-w-what are you doing here?"

"Isn't it obvious? Moving back, of course."

"Obvious?"

"Okay, maybe not so noticeable, but my point is, we need to talk."

"Forget it. Learn to live without your powers"

"Not about my powers. Did you know Rikki and Cleo replaced you?"

"How'd you know?"

"I saw them. Boo hoo." Charlotte pretended to wipe a tear from her eye.

"What's your point? They'd rather hang out with Bella."

"Exactly. We both have a reason to hate them."

"I don't hate them! I'm just a little mad that they made a new friend and didn't even bother to tell me"

"Well Emma it's obvious you are jealous"

"I'm not jealous!"

"Yes, you are. "

"Well, maybe just a teensy bit jealous, but what do you even want from me?"

"You and I need to get revenge on them."

"But-"

"No buts, Emma. You can't resist the fact that you are jealous forever"

"What will you do if I don't help you?"

"I'm going to tell everyone your little secret"

"Like they'll believe you!"

"I still will tell everyone. And sooner or later they'll find out that it's true"

Emma froze in shock.

"You have three seconds to decide."

Emma didn't know what to do.

"_One…"_

__Cleo and Rikki _were _her friends…

_"Two…"_

__They _did _replace her…

"_Three…"_

"Okay, okay!" Emma blurted out. "I'll help you. We'll both get revenge on them."

"Perfect. Wise choice."

Charlotte walked off.

_What have I done? _Emma thought for a second. But she quickly deleted that thought after realizing that Cleo and Rikki replaced her, and she had to get revenge on them.

* * *

Cleo walked home in an unhappy mood. Emma wasn't too happy to meet Bella. In fact, Emma seemed to hate her! But she fought back the urge to tell her. If Bella knew, she would probably give Em the cold shoulder.

"Cleo!" Kim shouted.

"What do you want, Kim?" Cleo shouted back.

"YOUR chores"

Kim pointed to the dirty dishes lying in the sink.

"Uh…"

"Well? What're you waiting for?"

"Kim, could you wash the dishes please?"

Kim never fell for the word 'please', but it was worth a try.

"Twenty dollars."

"Fine."

Cleo reached into her pocket and gave Kim a twenty-dollar bill.

Kim walked over to the sink and started to do the dishes.

"You could've done these by yourself! What is it with you and your water phobia?"

Glaring at her little sister, Cleo walked over and put out her hand. But at the same time, Kim looked at Cleo. She was about to say something when the water from the faucet sprayed at Kim.

"You-you made the water come at me! How?"

Cleo was speechless. What was she supposed to say!

"What did you do?"

"I–well, I sort of…"

Kim stood there with her arms crossed. That was her I-Am-Not-Moving-Until-You-Tell-Me-The-Truth look.

Cleo tried to fight back the urge to tell her the truth. But Rikki would be furious! Trying to keep her mouth shut, Cleo couldn't hold it in anymore.

"Kim, I'm a mermaid!" Cleo blurted out.

Kim stared at Cleo for a moment.

Then she just slowly got a cup of water in her hand and took a sip of it. After that, Kim looked at the water, then looked at Cleo.

Before she knew it, the water had poured onto Cleo's head thanks to Kim.

Ten seconds later, Cleo couldn't stand. She fell down with a big orange tail instead of her legs.

"I knew you were a fish!"

"Kim, be quiet! You can't tell anyone!"

"Why should I? I could make a million dollars off of this"

She knelt down and felt Cleo's scales.

"Just don't tell anyone and I'll do anything you say!"

"Hmm…anything?"

Cleo nervously nodded.

"Okay. I keep your tail a secret, you do whatever I ask for the next six months."

"Deal. Wait, six months?!"

"Yeah. Six months or I tell everyone about you"

"Okay, okay, okay. It's a deal."

Kim nodded and walked away.

Cleo was left lying on a floor in mermaid form.

When reality hit her, she gasped.

_What have I done? Rikki's going to kill me!_

_Okay, I shouldn't panick. I mean, Kim's bound to keep her word, right? I can trust her._

_Oh, what am I saying? Kim never keeps her word!_

_But maybe she's serious this time…_

_I don't know what to do!_

Cleo wished that she could just run away into the ocean like she did when Lewis supposadly let her down to Charlotte.

Tears began to run down her face. Everything was a mess.

No. It wasn't a mess. Cleo was going to fix this. No matter what the cost, the number one goal was to make sure Kim didn't know about Rikki, Bella, and Emma.

_Speaking of Emma, I wonder what she's up to…_

**TO BE CONTINUED…**

**So what did you think? Review!**

**Coming up in chapter 3…**

**Can Cleo trust Kim to keep her secret?**

Will Emma get her revenge?

**Will Kim find out about the others?**

**Find out in Chapter 3, coming out in a week or so!**


	3. Nightmares

Emma laid on her back in her bed. It was nighttime. Elliot and her parents were already asleep. But she was still wide awake.

_Why did I make a stupid deal with Charlotte? _Emma thought.

Over and over, she remembered why she agreed to get revenge on them. But her common sense would strike her with a fear that Rikki and Cleo would never forgive her.

_No. A deal's a deal. Unless I want to end up in a science lab, Charlotte and I are going to get revenge on them. _

Finally Em drifted off to sleep.

* * *

A bright light forced Emma to open her eyes.

_Huh?_

She glanced around. There were men with lab coats and plastic blue gloves on.

_I'm in a science lab. I wonder what their expierment is. _

Emma had a tingling sensation that gave her the need to run out. She tried, but failed.

Her heart began to race as she realized that she wasn't in human form.

She was as a mermaid.

_I'm the science expeirment._

Nervously glancing around, she finally spat out the words, "W-w-w-w-where am I?"

"Experiencing your consequences."

Charlotte stepped out of the crowd of men.

"Charlotte? How could you?"

"The deal."

Emma's mouth dropped open. She was so frightened and angry with herself.

_No, no, no, no, no, no, no! This can't be happening. It just can't…_

* * *

Frantically, Emma sat up in her bed. She gave a shriek, but not strong enough to wake up her family.

Emma breathed a sigh of relief as she realized it was a dream.

But tears began to run down her cheek as she realized that it may come true.

_No. I will get revenge. They deserve it!_

Emma finally cleared up.

What's done is done.

She looked at her alarm clock.

_4:32 a.m._

Emma sighed and drifted back to sleep. This time, no more mermaid nightmares.

* * *

Cleo torpedoed to Mako Island. Rikki and Bella were right behind her.

When she got to the moon pool, Cleo was still dreading the fear of Kim telling everyone her secret and how Rikki would react.

"Cleo? Cleo? You ok? Earth to Cleo!"

Rikki's voice snapped Cleo out of it.

"Are you okay, Cleo?" Rikki asked.

"I'm fine." Cleo replied in a small voice.

"There's something you're not telling us, is there?" Bella added.

"Well, um…"

"Well?" Rikki was not in the mood for Cleo's not-admitting-something-bad act.

"Kim…"

"What about her?" Bella asked.

"She…she sort of knows. About me."

"What?!" Rikki's scream echoed throughout the cave.

"It's not my fault! I was just trying to make the water land on her, and she saw me doing it and…"

"You used your powers on her? Cleo, you should've been more careful."

"Rikki, don't blame me!"

"Then who am I supposed to blame? Let's blame that rock lying over there!"

Rikki sarcastically pointed to a moon pool rock lying near them.

"Guys, please don't fight-" Bella started.

"How could you, Cleo? She's going to tell everyone!"

"She just knows about me!"

"Well she's bound to find out the rest sooner or later!"

"I'm sorry, Rikki, ok? Now leave me alone! I need to fix this."

Without another word, Cleo swam out.

Giving Cleo her death glare, Rikki swam out after.

Bella was left lying in the water.

She tried to clear her mind, then left the moon pool.

* * *

"Okay, Emma. How should we get revenge first?" Charlotte asked. She and Emma were hanging out in Emma's room.

"Well, I'm not so sure. I think we should start small. "

"Hmm…okay. What should we do?"

Emma thought for a minute. Then sat up.

"I've got an idea!"

Emma grabbed Charlotte's arm and they left the Gilbert house.

* * *

"So there they are."

Emma and Charlotte were standing near Rikki, Cleo, and Bella on the beach.

"What's your brilliant idea?"

Emma glanced at everyone, making sure no one was looking.

Then, in a split second, with Emma's powers, it was snowing on the other mermaids.

Knowing snow was water, Cleo, Bella, and Rikki started to panic. They ran off quickly into the ocean.

"Sweet."

Charlotte smiled. Emma smirked.

_Serves your right for replacing me!_

**TO BE CONTINUED…**

**Review!**

**Coming up in chapter 4:**

**-What will happen between Rikki and Cleo?**

**-How will Cleo solve her Kim problem?**

**-How far will Charlotte and Emma go with revenge?**

**Read all about it in chapter 4, coming soon!**

:)


	4. Tensions Rising

Bella, Cleo, and Rikki swam into the moon pool.

"What happened back there?" asked Bella.

"It just…started to snow on us!" said Cleo.

"It never snows here!" Rikki added.

"You don't think…" Bella nervously said.

"Emma? No way. She wouldn't do that." Rikki sternly shook her head.

"But maybe she would. I mean, she _was _pretty angry when she thought Bella replaced her–"

"What?!" Bella gaped at the others in the moon pool with her.

"Well, Emma was a little jealous because she thought you replaced her." Cleo inched back a little and glanced away from Bella.

"Why didn't you tell me?"

"We thought you'd try to get back at Emma"

"Why would you think I'd do that?"

"I don't know!"

"Of course, I'd be upset, but I'd try to sort it out! I can't believe you guys!"

"Bella, we're sorry! We didn't mean to hurt you–"

"Save it. I'm offended enough."

Without another word, Bella swam out, giving the other 2 a death glare.

"Oh, great! First Emma gets mad at us for making a new friend, then Kim finds out about us, and now Bella is angry at us!"

"Rikki, it's not that bad. We'll sort it out."

"What's the point? Bella and Emma officially hate us."

"That's not true!"

"Figure it out on your own."

Rikki swam away from the moon pool, then torpedoed away from Mako Island.

Just then Emma swam in. She looked better than ever.

"What'd I miss?" she asked.

Cleo just narrowed her eyes at Emma.

"What?" Emma acted surprised and confused.

"How could you? I thought you were my friend!"

Cleo just swam away, leaving a not-at-all guilty Emma floating in the water.

* * *

_Hey, it's Bella. Can't come to the phone right now. Leave a message at the beep. Bye!_

Ugh!

__Bella's voicemail had rung over and over in Cleo's head. No matter how many times she called, Bella didn't answer.

She decided to call Rikki. she'd know what to do.

"Hello?" Rikki's voice said on the other line.

"Rikki, I really need help."

"Cleo, just figure it out on your own, okay? I'm busy."

"Doing what?"

"Er…homework."

"We finished high school a month ago!"

"Well, can't you just solve your own problems?"

"Rikki, this is serious! Emma and Bella are 100% against us, and Kim is probably going to expose me!"

"What am I supposed to do? Wave a magic wand and make everything perfect?"

"Ugh! Rikki, I-"

A light bulb popped into Cleo's head. She gasped.

"Of course! Magic! Thanks, Rikki. You're the best."

"Huh?"

Cleo hung up before Rikki said any more.

_Of course! Use magic!_

* * *

Cleo walked by the beach. She saw Kim sitting on the sand with a few of her friends.

Magic.

She put out her hand. Luckily, she made sure no one was looking.

Kim and her friends were sitting near the waves, so Cleo forced the water to shove onto Kim's legs, waist, and half of her shirt.

Kim screamed in shock from the freezing cold saltwater.

Her friends giggled.

Cleo smiled. Kim saw Cleo doing this, so she walked over and glared at her sister.

"Ha, ha." she said angrily.

Kim stormed off the beach.

One of Kim's friends came up to Cleo.

"Did you see the look on her face?" her friend said.

The 3 of them laughed.

But, Kim's friend put her hand on Cleo's shoulder. Oh, no! Her hand had gotten wet from the water!

"Uh, I gotta go now! Bye!"

Cleo ran off into the ocean.

"What was that about?"

"Don't know. Kim said Cleo's a psycho."

* * *

At the moon pool, Cleo kept thinking to herself,

_Nice thinking, Cleo Sertori!_

But then Rikki swam in.

"What have you been up to?" she asked.

"Oh, nothing. Just fixing our problems."

Cleo smiled.

"What did you do?"

"Just embarrassed Kim by making water splash onto her at the beach."

"What? Cleo, you shouldnt've done that! You could've been exposed!"

"Rikki, I was careful! I'm not stupid! I'm not the mermaid-hating girl who was afraid of every drop of water I saw I was when we first transformed!"

"Well, maybe you should be afraid of a tiny drop of water!"

"Don't you ever listen, Rikki? I hate you!"

Cleo left the moon pool, leaving Rikki in shock. Cleo's comment rang over and over in her head.

_Don't you ever listen? I hate you!_

**TO BE CONTINUED…**

**Up next in Chapter 5:  
~What else will Charlotte and Emma do?**

**~What does Cleo have planned for Kim?**

**~Will Rikki and Cleo ever become friends again?**

**Coming up in chapt. 5, which will be out soon!**

Review! :)


	5. Bella's So-Called Record Deal

Bella lay on her bed. She kept wondering, _Why did they lie to me?_

But at the same time, she was also heartbroken that Emma hated her.

_Our friendship is falling apart!_

Bella sat up as soon as she heard her phone ring.

"Hello?" she said.

"Hi. Is this Isabella Hartley?" said someone on the other line.

"Uh…yes?"

"Well, miss Hartley, I am Roger Miles. I have heard about your amazing singing!"

"Actually, I'm not so famous, but I sing at Rikki's cafe."

"Excellent! Did you know I'm a record holder?"

"What?"

"I said I'm a record holder."

"For which record?"

"Hundred Miles Records."

"Never heard of it."

"Well, it's real. I'm calling to see if you'd like a record deal"

Bella almost dropped the phone.

"Uh, why me?"

"Do you want the record or not?"

"Yes! Of course!"

"Good. We'll meet at Rikki's cafe tomorrow at 11 am."

"Okay. Bye"

"Goodbye"

Bella stuffed her pillow and screamed. She was a future star!

Although, it confused her. Why did he want me over every star on the Gold Coast?

Oh, well. Bella Hartley is a star!

* * *

Charlotte and Emma laughed.

"I can't believe Bella really thinks she has a record deal!" said Charlotte.

"Do you think she'll find out it's us?"

"No way. But we need a plan."

"For what?"

"Duh! She thinks that Roger guy is gonna meet her tomorrow. Someone needs to pose as him."

"You do it, since you did the 'man voice'."

"What? No! I look terrible in a tux!"

"Well I'm not going."

"Wait, I have an idea!"

"What?"

"We don't go at all. Bella will be so mad when she finds out that she doesn't have a record deal!"

"Great idea!"

* * *

Rikki was still lying in the moon pool. She didn't get over what Cleo said.

_Don't you ever listen? I hate you!_

For hours, she had floated in the water, wondering if Cleo really did hate her.

On the outside, Rikki knew she was tough, but on the inside, she felt alone and weak.

But there was one person that always seemed to want to be near her…

"Rikki? Rikki? You in here?"

Zane's voice made Rikki calm.

Zane walked into the cave.

"Where have you been for the past three hours?"

"Sulking in the moon pool." Rikki looked away from him.

"Your dad has been worried about you!"

"So what? You're not my babysitter!"

Zane took a step back.

"Geez, okay."

"Sorry. I didn't mean it like that."

"Why have you been here all this time?"

"Well, Cleo said that she hated me and…"

"What? She said that? That's not like her."

"I know, but–"

Tears began rolling down her cheek.

Rikki had never cried in front of anyone. Especially Zane. But she couldn't hold it in anymore.

"Rikki?"

"Yes Zane?"

Zane was quiet for a moment.

"I love you."

The words flowed throughout Rikki's body. From her head to her tail, she knew she made a bad decision by breaking up with him.

"I love you too."

Slowly, the lovebirds leaned in and touched each other's lips with a kiss.

* * *

**The End of Chapter 5**

**Coming up in chapter 6…**

**~What will happen with Bella's so-called 'record deal'?**

**~When will Emma and Charlotte strike next?**

**~What will happen with Rikki and Zane?**

Chapter 6 coming soon! Review!

:)

**P.S. Sorry this chapter's kinda short, but I sort of have writer's block.**


	6. Cleo Number Two

**A/N: Sorry it took so long! I've been busy with school and band practice and piano lessons, so it's been hard. **

**Anyway, here is chapter #6 of 'Betrayal'.**

"Okay, Emma. We've made it snow on them, and pranked Bella. What should we do next?" said Charlotte as she and Emma were in Emma's bedroom.

"I don't know." Emma replied as she shook her head. "I think we should stop it"

Charlotte sat up.

"What? Why? They totally deserve it!"

"Well, yeah. But I think they get it. We should probably stop before things get out of hand"

"Out of hand? Are you kidding? I want FULL revenge on them!"

"Fine. But face it: we're out of ideas."

"Well, there's one more idea."

"What is that?"

"When's the next full moon?"

"I think it's this Friday"

Charlotte smiled. "Perfect."

* * *

Bella sang beautifully at the cafe. Everyone enjoyed her on the stage, singing with her pretty voice.

But there was one problem.

During every song, Bella took a quick glance through the crowd of people who came to the cafe. She saw everyone but the record deal man.

When her concert finally ended, Bella stepped off the stage, just as Rikki and Cleo walked in.

"Bella, we really didn't mean to hurt your feelings" Cleo automatically said.

Bella hung her head.

"It's fine, guys. It doesn't even matter now."

"What's wrong now?" Rikki asked.

"Well, yesterday some guy called me and said that he was gonna give me a record and…"

"Bella, that's great! What's so wrong about that?"

"Well, he never showed up, like he unlike he said."

"What? Oh, Cleo, you don't think…"

"Emma and Charlotte! They tricked you!"

Bella just shook her head.

"I should've known better. Like any guy would want to work with me!"

Emma and Charlotte then walked into the cafe.

"We'll talk at Mako." Rikki muttered to Cleo and Bella, then walked out of the cafe.

Charlotte came up to Bella and said, "Why, Bella, where's your record deal?" in her fake sad voice.

Bella narrowed her eyes at her.

"Oh, don't play dumb, Charlotte! I know you set me up"

"What makes you think that?"

"Who else would prank call me just for revenge?"

Emma entered the conversation.

"Where's little miss Hot-Head?" she asked.

"You mean Rikki?" Cleo began to wonder if Emma really was her enemy…

"Duh. Now answer my question."

"Emma, I can't believe you! First you betray us and now you're calling Rikki names!"

"Oh, shut up. I can find her myself."

Emma turned and walked away with Charlotte following her.

* * *

After the drama scene Cleo walked home. She kept hoping things would just go back to the way they were.

When Cleo got into her room, she had a joyful thought.

_Maybe this is all a dream!_

Cleo lay in her bed and tried to sleep. She tried, but failed.

_Oh, forget it, Cleo! This isn't a dream. It's really happening._

But soon, Cleo's eyes felt heavier and heavier, until she could no longer hold them open…

* * *

Cleo fluttered her eyes open. She looked around and realized that she was in mermaid form. Her bedroom slowly evolved into the moon pool.

Cleo turned her head to the left. She saw something shocking…herself. It wasn't a reflection. It was liturally another Cleo mermaid.

"Who are you?" she spat out.

The other Cleo smirked.

"I'm you, silly."

"N-no you're not! I'm Cleo Sertori!"

"Silly, silly Cleo. We're both Cleo."

"How is this possible?"

"You're dreaming, duh!"

"But, what's going on?"

"I have a message for you: do not trust Emma."

"What?"

"Don't trust Emma. At all."

The Cleo clone used her powers to make a blob of water come up from the moon pool.

Cleo looked closer. She saw a vision. It was her, Rikki, and Cleo. They were all in the moon pool, laughing together like old times.

"You see, Emma has turned. She is no longer your friend. You can't trust her." said the second Cleo.

"The Emma you once knew–the one you trusted" the clone continued. "is gone. She's never coming back. Emma is not your friend."

As she said these words, the Emma from the vision slowly faded away, as Rikki and Cleo were left alone in the moon pool.

* * *

Cleo woke up. She realized it was a dream. But at the same time, Cleo was curious if the clone really was giving an important message.

_Maybe she…or maybe in this case…I'm right. I guess I can't trust Emma anymore. _

* * *

**Hope you enjoyed!**

Review!

Chapter 7 coming out soon!

**CHAPTER SEVEN SNEAK PEEK**

"Charlotte, I'm telling you, this is a crazy idea!" Emma said.

"Well how else will we get revenge?"

"I'm telling you, the spell got rid of your powers forever!"

"And I'm telling you I won't rest until I at least try!"

"Okay, okay. But don't be too disappointed when it doesn't work."

**TO BE CONTINUED…**


	7. The Disastrous Full Moon

"Charlotte, I'm telling you– this is a crazy idea!" Emma said.

"Well how else will we get revenge?" Charlotte retorted.

"I'm telling you- the spell got rid of your powers forever!"

"And I'm telling you I won't rest until I try!"

"Okay, okay. But don't be too disappointed when it doesn't work"

Emma and Charlotte were talking about their plot…to get Charlotte's powers back.

Emma knew the spell would not work, because she, Rikki, an Cleo had gotten rid of Charlotte's powers forever.

But no amount of arguing would change Charlotte's mind. Emma knew that she wanted revenge on them more than anything.

"So the full moon's tonight, right?"

"Yeah."

"So, Emma, here's the plan…"

* * *

Later that night, Emma and Charlotte stood side by side at the dock. They waited. And waited. And soon the moon began to rise.

Emma dove into the water and sped towards Mako.

Charlotte rented a boat and headed in the same direction.

When they both had gotten to Mako, Emma met Charlotte on the beach. Still lying in the sand, and still in mermaid form, Charlotte walked over and handed Emma a towel that hung out of her backpack.

Soon, Emma's tail vanished and she was human again.

The two girls started walking through the jungle.

"Charlotte, are you sure this will work?"

"Positive."

"Well, what if it–"

"No! I won't give up! I won't rest until I am a mermaid again!" Charlotte angrily shouted.

Emma flinched and they continued walking. Soon they had come across the hole that led to the enchanted cave of the moon pool.

Charlotte slipped down the hole, and she was followed by Emma.

Charlotte smiled as they walked into the cave.

Emma looked at her watch.

"It's nearly time" she said.

Charlotte set down her bag. She looked hopefully at the hole in the top of the magic volcano.

After a while, the moon finally came over and rested its peaceful moonlight onto the water.

Emma held her breath. She fought back the urge to grab Charlotte's arm and keep her from leaping into the moon pool.

But it was too late. Charlotte held her nose and jumped into the water.

The moon pool started to bubble.

The magic sparkles of light rose from the moon pool.

Her transformation had begun.

Part of Emma wanted to dive in and yank Charlotte away from the moonlight. But she knew that it was too late and she, too would be affected.

When the moon passed over, Charlotte climbed out of the water. Her clothes were soaked. Her wet hair was sticking to her shirt.

"Did it work?" asked Emma.

"Only one way to find out…" Charlotte answered.

* * *

The next day, Charlotte and Emma were hanging out in Emma's bedroom. Emma had come in with a glass of water in her hand.

"You ready?" she asked.

Charlotte confidently nodded her head.

Although hesitant, Emma thrashed the water onto Charlotte's arm, and she was careful not to get herself wet, too.

Glancing at her watch, Charlotte timed the seconds it took for the transformation to occur.

_10…9…8…7…6…5…4…3…2…1…_

Charlotte shut her eyes. She felt a tingle in her legs. Emma gasped, and Charlotte knew it was the right time to open her eyes.

Charlotte's eyelids slowly opened, and the first thing she saw was a shiny, orange tail that replaced her legs.

"It worked! I'm a–"

"Sssh! Keep it down!" Emma whisper-shouted.

But Charlotte continued talking.

"The spell worked! I'm a mermaid again!"

"But–but–the spell; it got rid of your powers forever!"

"Well, the spell is broken. Now it's time to try out my powers."

Emma handed Charlotte a blanket. She rubbed her tail and soon it vanished.

Em picked up the glass again, went downstairs, and refilled it.

When she came back upstairs, Emma set it on her nightstand.

Charlotte took a deep breath, and then held out her right hand.

The water started to bubble and…well, heat up.

Charlotte smiled and shot a shocked Emma a joyful look.

_Next up–Cleo's power. _

Charlotte held out her hand, and focused her energy on the water.

It began to rise up. Soon it towered over her. When Charlotte let go of the floating water, it landed…on Emma.

Emma fell on the floor with a big tail.

Ignoring that, Charlotte tested out the last power.

Once more, she held out her hand, and the water froze into a block of ice.

"This is amazing!" she turned to Emma.

"Now we can really get revenge on them."

Emma rolled her eyes.

"Yeah, yeah. Now dry me off!"

Charlotte knelt down and used her heating power to dry of Emma's tail. When it vanished, Emma stood up and said, "So now how will we get revenge?"

"Simple. We let the others know I'm a mermaid, and they'll practically be at our knees!"

"Perfect."

Emma and Charlotte high-fived.

* * *

**THE END OF CHAPTER 7**

**Coming up in chapter 8…**

**–Now that Charlotte has her powers, what will she and Emma do?**

**–How will Cleo solve her problem with Kim?**

**–What about Cleo and Rikki?**

**find out in chapter 8!**

**Peace out!**

**:D**


	8. Framed

Bella sat alone on a park bench. She hadn't talked to Rikki or Cleo all day.

She had just felt so stupid for believing the Roger guy was gonna give her a record.

All at the same time, Bella felt humiliated, angry, and upset at the same time.

_I shouldn't have even believed it. _

As she hung her head, little did Bella know that sneaky mermaids Emma and Charlotte were spying on her.

"So you know the plan, right?" Charlotte whispered to Emma.

"I still think this is nuts. We could be exposed!"

"Oh, you're just not getting it. We're not gonna expose her. See that branch hanging above Bella?"

Charlotte pointed at the branch attached to a tree right above Bella.

"It rained recently." Charlotte continued. "All we have to do is get Bella wet and then surprise, surprise; she'll know I still have my powers."

Hesitant, Emma nodded her head.

"Okay. But the joke's on you if we end up in a science lab"

Charlotte put out her hand towards the branch. Using her mind, she made the water slowly drop down on Bella.

Bella's sadness was interrupted when she felt a cold splash of water onto her head.

Frantic, she looked around. She spotted a bathroom not far away, and darted for it. She made it just in time before the transformation began and Bella fell down to the tiled floor.

Bella breathed a sigh of relief.

_A few more seconds and I would have been exposed!_

But her fear rose again when she heard the door open up. There was nowhere for her to hide.

In walked Charlotte and Emma. They both seemed to enjoy seeing Bella panic.

"Did you do that?" Bella slowly asked.

"Of course." Charlotte smirked.

"W-w-why?"

"Oh, as revenge on you! All of you!" Emma replied.

"Yeah. We both have a reason to hate you fish."

Bella gaped.

"Emma, I thought you, Cleo, and Rikki–"

"Cleo, Rikki, blah, blah, blah. They betrayed me!"

"But didn't you use to be friends?"

A stinging pain of rememberance stabbed Emma with memories of her, Rikki, and Cleo together; they were best friends. Stuck together like glue.

Emma was silent for a minute. She ignored the guilt and just cleared her sympathy.

"Well, like I said; they betrayed me!"

"Emma, it sounds like you betrayed them!"

"They did it first!"

"Well why don't you–"

"Would you excuse us? We have more important things to do." Charlotte interrupted. Emma nodded and the two walked out of the bathroom.

Left alone on the floor, Bella reached and grabbed a paper towel. She dried herself as best as she could, and soon her legs came back.

* * *

Emma and Charlotte walked back to the Gilberts' house.

"You were right to ignore the guilt, Emma." Charlotte said.

"Yeah. But I still feel like we're doing the wrong thing"

"Don't you want revenge?"

"Yes, but–"

"Look, Emma, just make up your mind! One minute you're on my side and the next minute you're feeling guilty!"

"Okay, okay. I get it. But the truth is: I only agreed to help you because you threatened to expose me."

"Well can we skip the drama talk and get back to our next revenge plan?"

"Ok. What should we do next?"

Charlotte thought hard. Soon a light bulb popped into her head.

"I've got it! It's brilliant!"

"What is it?"

"Can I see your locket?"

Charlotte held out her hand.

"Why?"

"It's part of the plan"

Nervously, Emma reached to the back of her neck and unhooked the chain that kept the necklace on her.

She placed it in Charlotte's palm.

"Now all we have to do is put it in Bella's bag" Charlotte explained.

"What will that do?"

"Ugh. Do I have to explain everything? Anyway, Rikki and Cleo will think Bella stole it from you, and it will wreck their friendship!"

"Brilliant!"

"I know!"

"But how are we gonna get my locket into Bella's bag?"

"She left it on the park bench, right?"

"I think so."

"So we just quickly slip it into there, and then mission accomplished!"

"Okay."

Emma and Charlotte walked back to the park. They found Bella's messenger bag lying crooked on the green wooden bench.

"Okay. So we just quickly slip this into her bag, and run off. But not too quick. We don't want to get anyone suspicious."

"Got it."

The two walked over to the bench, making sure no one was looking. When they got there, they unbuckled the bag.

Charlotte quickly dropped the locket into the bag and closed the bag.

"Hey!" Bella called. She had come for her bag! Oh no! They were caught!

"What are you doing?"

Emma and Charlotte exchanged glances.

"Giving this back to you." Charlotte said. She picked up the bag and handed it to Bella.

Bella gave them a confused look, and then threw the bag over her shoulder and walked off.

"Perfect." Emma said.

* * *

Rikki, Cleo, and Bella sat at a table at the cafe.

"So what's up with you and Zane?" Cleo excitedly asked.

"Oh, we got back together."

"Rikki that's awesome!"

"I know! Truth is I missed him so much"

The three smiled and laughed like old times. It was funny to Bella because Rikki and Cleo didn't seem mad at each other anymore. They were friends again, just like the old times.

Bella heard her phone ring. She reached into her bag to find it but found something strange.

A locket.

Rikki and Cleo had worn lockets like the one in her hand before they found the crystals.

"Hey, guys, look what was in my bag"

Bella handed the locket to the others.

"Bella, did you steal it?" Rikki told Bella.

"No! It was just here when I opened my bag"

"It must've been Emma's. They tried to frame you"

"How do you know it's Emma's?" Rikki asked.

"The crystal is white. Emma's locket was like that"

"Why would they put it in my bag?"

"They tried to frame you."

"I'm near the last straw with those two!" Rikki clenched her fist. Her drink started to boil.

"Rikki, calm down! Some people are looking."

Rikki stopped heating up the iced tea.

"Sorry. I just can't help it. They've gone too far. "

"Yeah. We've got to put a stop to this" Cleo agreed.

Bella nodded her head.

"We've gotta do something. But what?"

"I don't know. But we have to stop them before it gets out of hand."

"I agree."

"I'm in."

"But can I tell you guys something?" Cleo asked.

"Sure." Bella and Rikki said at the same time.

"Well yesterday I had a weird dream where another Cleo told me we can't trust Emma anymore"

"What? Why?" Rikki asked.

"Well she, or maybe I, should it be us?…"

"Cleo, get to the point."

"Right. Anyway, she told me that Emma turned on us and isn't our friend anymore."

"Maybe Cleo number two is right. I mean, for the past few weeks she hasn't really acted like our friend."

"Yeah. We need to do something."

"Right. But remember: we're in this together."

Cleo, Rikki and Bella put hands in the middle of the table on top of each others.

They would fix the mess.

Together.

Like it should be.

Friends forever.

But not with Emma this time.

* * *

**THE END OF CHAPTER #8**

**I hope you enjoyed it!**

I think this is the longest chapter I've written for any story on FF. 

**Review!**

**Coming up in chapter 9…**

**-How will the girls fix the mess?**

**-What will Emma and Charlotte do next?**

**-Will the mermaids be able to stop Charlotte and Emma?**

**Find out in chapter 9, coming out soon!**

**Peace out H2O scouts!**

**;D**


	9. Crisis Management

Cleo sat quietly on her bed. She slowly got up to her bookshelf and pulled out her diary. Emma had warned her that keeping a diary about being mermaids could put their secret in danger a long time ago, but Cleo still kept one. This one was more hidden than ever.

She grabbed a pen and started to write on a blank and lined page.

_Saturday  
Dear Diary,  
I am really scared. Emma and Charlotte have ganged up on us and are trying to make our lives miserable! They tried to frame Bella for stealing Emma's locket. If they go too far, we could all be exposed! But a worry always comes up in my mind that Charlotte has regained her powers. But the spell got rid of her powers forever…right? I am really, really scared. Bella is still upset over the record deal incident. She hardly spoke to us all morning. But I hope we can all just fix this giant mess in our lives.  
-Cleo S._

Cleo put away her diary. Soon she heard Kim's demanding voice boom up the steps.

"Cleo! Cleo! Come down here! CLEO!"

Rolling her eyes, Cleo got out of the bed and walked downstairs.

"What do you want Kim?"

"Get me an orange juice with a straw."

"Excuse me?"

Kim slowed down like Cleo was a confused five year-old.

"Get. Me. A. Cup. Of. Juice. From. An. Orange. With. A. Straw. In. The. Cup."

"I know what you said, Kim! Why are you ordering me around?"

"Remember–the deal? Besides, since you embarrassed me in front of my friends, you need to do whatever I want. You're like my maid"

"Whatever."

Cleo followed Kim's annoying orders and got her a cup of orange juice.

"I said with a straw!" Kim complained.

Groaning, Cleo got a straw out of the drawer and handed it to Kim.

Then Cleo just sighed and walked out the door. Walking turned to running as she headed for the canal and dove into the water.

When Cleo's shiny tail appeared, she torpedoed towards Mako Island. It wasn't long before she made it to the moon pool.

Emma was already there. Cleo swam in. But she saw a red-haired girl next to Emma.

_Could it be…_

The mermaid turned around and a look of shock and panic dodged onto Cleo's face when she identified the mermaid.

"Charlotte." Cleo said with her teeth gritted.

Charlotte smiled and tilted her head.

"Did you miss me much?"

"Not at all."

"Hey, back off, Clueless!" Emma retorted.

Cleo flinched and said, "How–what–what the heck is going on here?!"

"I am a mermaid, of course" Charlotte replied.

"How? The spell: it–"

"Well the spell broke somehow and surprise, surprise! I'm a mermaid. "

Cleo's heart beat faster and faster when talking turned to arguing when Emma stepped in.

"So, is this a big surprise to you, Cleo the Clueless?"

"Emma–Charlotte–How did you get your powers back?"

"Emma helped me" Charlotte said.

Cleo gaped at Emma.

"Emma, how could you?!"

"Like you'd care! You've been hanging out with Bella! You replaced me like I didn't ever exist! You replaced you lockets with those blue crystal necklaces! You pretended I wasn't ever real!"

"That's not true! We–"

"Save it! You betrayed me, so this is what you deserve!"

Just then Bella and Rikki swam in.

"What's going on?" Rikki asked.

"Charlotte got her powers back" Cleo answered.

"What?!" Rikki nervously glanced at the tail that substituted Charlotte's legs.

"We will get our revenge! You deserve it! Especially you, Bella! You replaced me!"

"We keep telling you: I did NOT replace you!"

"Yes you did! And if you think apologizing will help it, then it's too little too late!"

Emma swam out, and she was followed by Charlotte.

"I can't believe them" Rikki said.

"Me neither" Bella agreed.

* * *

"Oh my god, Emma! That was so fun!" Charlotte said in Emma's room.

"I know! Did you see the looks on their faces when they saw your tail?"

"Yes! I wish I could relive that moment!"

"Yeah! I can't believe I was starting to feel guilty! They not only deserve it: this is totally fun!"

"Of course it is! Can you believe you were trying to stop doing this?"

Although Emma was 99.9% sure that she and Charlotte were doing the right thing, the .1% was Emma's doubts.

Her memories.

Her secrets.

Her friends.

All the good times she, Cleo, and Rikki had together a while ago. If only she could make them happen again.

But Emma ignored the guilt. She continued to just team up with Charlotte and do whatever she wanted on them.

"Now all we have to do is just make them get at our knees" Charlotte said.

"Yeah. But how?"

"Easy–we threaten to expose the girls unless they do whatever we want them to do"

"The perfect plan."

"Oh yeah."

* * *

"Great! First Kim finds out our secret and now Charlotte's a mermaid again!" Rikki said in Cleo's bedroom.

"It was bad enough that Kim threatened to expose me, but now that Charlotte has regained her powers, we may never be able to solve this problem!" Cleo said.

"Yeah! And it's going to be impossible for us to get Charlotte back into the moon pool on a full moon and remove her powers!" Bella added.

"Of course it is! It's not as simple as pie– it's more like difficult like a stone!"

"But no matter what, we're in this together. Right?" Cleo said.

Bella and Rikki nodded their heads.

"Hey guys, guess what?" Bella said.

"What is it?" Rikki asked.

"Well, I looked up mermaid mythologic on the Internet"

"So?" Cleo said.

"According to this website, there was a woman who claims she was once a mermaid fifty years ago–"

"Wait! Rikki, remember that locket Emma found at the bottom of the moon pool?" Cleo quickly said.

"Um…yeah?" Rikki replied.

"Well, the locket belonged to Gracie! Maybe _she _wrote the website!"

"Cleo, we don't even know yet. There could be a dozen mermaids out there who were mermaids also fifty years ago. It's just a coincidence"

"You're right. Continue, Bella."

"Anyway, this woman said that there is a way that the spell that got rid of a mermaid's powers could be broken. Another mermaid has to let a human go into the moon pool on a full moon and not stop her. That's how Charlotte got her powers back!"

"But how do we get rid of them…well, again?" Rikki asked.

Bella scrolled down on her laptop.

"It says we need to draw her back into the moon pool on a full moon with the mermaid who helped her get her powers!"

"So…Charlotte's powers go away…and we need Emma, too?"

"Yeah. It says something about their punishment or whatever"

"And…if Emma gets into the moon pool…"

Bella was quiet for a moment.

"Both of their powers will go away. Forever. There's no way they could get them back. Ever. Gone. Never coming back–"

"Okay, Bella. We get it"

"That's it? Emma will loose her powers? I can't imagine being a mermaid without her…"

Cleo started sniffling and crying.

"Sorry, Cleo. But we don't really have any choice." Rikki said.

"Rikki's right, Cleo. There's nothing else we can do."

"Okay. When is the next full moon?"

"Next week."

"So we need to find a way to draw Charlotte and Emma into the moon pool"

"Right. So here's the plan…"

**TO BE CONTINUED…**

**Hope you enjoyed! Review!**

**Bye-bye!**

**;)**


	10. Battlefield

Rikki, Bella, and Cleo stood on the edge of the moon pool, waiting for Emma and Charlotte to show up.

Cleo held her breath and stared at the blue ripples of water.

Still no mermaids coming through.

_So this is it. _she thought.

_No more swimming with Emma._

_No more laughing together. _

_No more Emma the mermaid. _

Tears once again started down her cheeks when she saw a flashback of all the memories she and Emma had together, even before they met Rikki.

She even remembered the one day they took an old notebook and wrote a poem together, long ago when they were 8.

Cleo remembered the words perfectly:

_Friends Forever  
By Emma G. and Cleo S. _

_You're my friend, _

_and I am yours, _

_always together,_

_never any wars. _

_You're there for me,_

_I'm there for you,_

_Only together,_

_we'll make it through. _

_Stuck together like glue,_

_It's always me and you. _

_I assure you, my friend, _

_We're connected until the end. _

_So never let go,_

_of our friendship flow. _

The memories of Emma stopped when she saw a blonde mermaid swim in.

Emma.

She was followed by another mermaid. One with red hair.

Charlotte.

"What do you want?" Emma asked.

"Yeah. We have better things to do." Charlotte retorted.

Bella looked up. The moon was slowly coming over the moon pool.

"This is it. Forever." Rikki said.

"What?" Charlotte said.

"Oh, you're about to know what." said Cleo.

The moon rose over the pool.

The pool started to bubble.

"What is going on?" Emma asked.

"You're gonna loose your powers." Rikki said.

"What?! Cleo, defend me!" Emma ordered.

Cleo didn't say anything.

"I said DEFEND ME!" Emma shouted.

"No." Cleo finally said.

"What?"

"You heard me. No. N. O."

"But, Cleo, we're friends!" Emma looked at her with hope.

"No. This is not the Emma who is my friend. This is not the Emma I knew since we were 7."

"What are you talking about?"

"I'm talking about you and Charlotte ganging up on us!"

"Well, as I said, Cleo, DEFEND ME!"

"No!"

Emma gaped at Cleo.

"Don't just sit there, Emma! Do something!" Charlotte said.

Emma didn't do anything.

"Fine. I don't need you."

Charlotte turned and started to swim away. So did Emma.

But Cleo made a water ball underwater block Charlotte and Emma.

Bella turned it into jelly and then hardened it.

Emma and Charlotte turned back to the moon pool for air.

The two raised their hands. Thunder rose from above. It started to rain on the three other mermaids.

Rikki quickly dried off their clothes before anything else happened.

The others raised their hands, too. The storm became even stronger.

Lightning flashed outside of Mako Island.

Rain poured onto the moon pool.

Wind gusted all around.

This was a battle.

Emma and Charlotte were unpredictable.

They were not about to lose.

They wanted to win more than anything.

Bella, Rikki, and Cleo weren't going to lose, either.

This was a war.

Practically until the end.

Winner take all.

Emma and Charlotte put down their hands because of the rain. Bella, Rikki, and Cleo stopped the storm.

The moon pool continued to bubble.

Magic sparkles rose from the water.

The two mermaids looked at each other.

This was it.

* * *

**TO BE CONTINUED**

**I hope you enjoyed!**

Coming up in Chapter 11…

**-Will Charlotte and Emma loose their powers?**

**Find out! **

**Review!**

:)


	11. The End

**A/N: This is it, everyone. The moment you've all been waiting for. **

**This is the final chapter of "Betrayal". **

**I hope you enjoy it. :)**

* * *

Thunder rose from above.

Lightning flashed around Mako Island.

Strong gusts of wind swirled all around.

The time had come.

"What's going on?" Charlotte asked frantically.

Cleo couldn't help herself anymore.

She couldn't imagine life without Emma as a mermaid.

Cleo didn't want Emma to loose her powers.

She used her powers to make the water lift Emma out of the moon pool just in time.

Emma was dropped by the water onto the side of the moon pool and flopped onto the dirt.

"Cleo! What are you doing?" Rikki yelled.

"I'm sorry! I couldn't help it!" Cleo shouted.

Charlotte gazed hopelessly at the top of the cave.

Every ounce of magic she had was gone. Again.

Every single bit of powers she had floated to the top of the moon.

Charlotte looked down to her tail.

It began to fade away: until her beautiful orange tail became nothing but soaking wet jeans.

By then, Rikki had dried of Emma and she was human again.

"Emma, how could you–" Charlotte started.

"Deal's off, Charlotte. I trusted you. But you just wanted to make my friends suffer." Emma interrupted.

"But–but they replaced you!"

"I realized that they didn't! They just made a new friend. But I took it the wrong way"

"Whatever. I don't need you. I can get revenge without you!"

"Try doing that without a tail." Rikki chimed in.

"You're all going to pay for this! All of you! I don't need you, Emma."

"Well go ahead and make my life miserable! You don't even have ideas! I don't even need you!"

Charlotte gave Emma a death glare and waded out of the water. The others stood back, trying not to get wet.

Scoffing, Charlotte stomped out of the cave.

"Cleo, you didn't have to do that." Emma said.

"No. I did. You're my friend. I couldn't let you lose your powers." Cleo responded.

"Can you all forgive me?" Emma hopefully looked at the others.

Rikki shook her head.

"Sorry, Emma. But after the way you treated us, this kind of thing isn't really forgivable."

Bella nodded her head.

"I-I'm sorry. We just can't forgive you." Cleo finally said.

Emma nodded, blinking back tears.

"I guess I deserve this after what I did to you guys."

After hugging Cleo, Emma dove into the moon pool and swam away.

She still couldn't believe it.

Emma had been so stupid by working with Charlotte.

She treated her friends like garbage.

But they weren't her friends anymore.

The Emma that treated Cleo, Bella, and Rikki so bad would have blamed them for not forgiving her.

But Emma knew that this wasn't their fault.

It was hers.

When she first agreed to team up with Charlotte, Emma thought she didn't have a choice.

But Emma realized she did have a choice.

She chose to team up with Charlotte.

She chose to make their lives miserable.

She chose to embarrass Bella.

And worst of all– Emma chose to drive her friends away.

The little chance she had with being friends with Bella was destroyed by her own jealousy.

But Emma knew that she would never do something like that ever again.

_When an old enemy returns again, I won't work with them. I won't be their puppet. _

Emma would never be a slave again. She wanted to reverse time and go back to when she, Rikki, and Cleo were friends.

But that wasn't possible.

It was too little too late.

If Charlotte ever did try to talk her into the dark side, Emma would refuse.

She'd come out a more loyal and trustworthy Emma.

_I drove my own friends away, but that was the biggest mistake of my life. _

_I will never be eaten by my own jealously again. _

_This is me now, Charlotte. You won't ever be able to manipulate me. _

_Never. _

_Ever. _

_Again. _

_The other me wasn't who I was meant to be. _

_But this is the real me. _

_Bigger and stronger than ever before. _

* * *

**THE END**

**So what'd you think? Review! **

**NOTE: I am sorry about Emma no longer a friend of Rikki and Cleo, but please don't be mean. This is how I thought the story should end. It's pretty epic, if you ask me. **

**I hope you all enjoyed my story that took a while for me to write, though it's just 11 chapters. **

**Thank you for reading this, **

**~RainbowTiger178~**


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